


Shock

by orphan_account



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Jesus p.o.v., M/M, cross posted from my tumblr, h/c, jesus and daryl are safe, post 6x16, someone got the bat though, spoilers for the finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6490192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After that brutal night in the woods Rick and team family make their way to Hilltop where Jesus takes care of them as best he can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shock

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the support from [alic3dix0n](http://alic3dix0n.tumblr.com/) who encouraged me to post here. You're the best :)

“Open the gates!” Jesus heard the shout in the clear morning air.  The sun was barely up.  Who in the ever loving world…?  “Open the gates now!”  He sprinted to the gates as they started their slow swing inward.

“Who is it?”  He yelled up to the guards.

“Alexandrians!”  And by the way he yelled it Jesus could tell they weren’t here just to stop by.  His heart thudded in his chest and he wished the gates would open faster. As soon as they were wide enough for him to squeeze through he did and what he saw on the other side he wasn’t ready for.

Rick and his group looked as good as the dead.  He didn’t have to ask what happened.

Rick and Abraham carried a stretcher.  The blanket draped over the body was stained red where the head should be.

“Let me.” He said to Rick, but Rick shook his head and moved forward towards the gates, which were now much wider and crowed with people from The Hilltop.

“Go get Doctor Carson.” He instructed one of them.  He saw Glenn then, carrying Maggie.

“What’s going on?”  He asked urgently.

“The baby.”  Glenn’s voice was raw. “I don’t know.”

“Are you ok to…?”  He asked, motioning to Maggie.

“I’ve got her.”  Jesus let him continue his slow trudge forward. Rosita followed. Michonne and Carl passed on his right, silent and staring at the ground. And then … Aaron, his name was Aaron and Sasha came in last, towing a very near-death looking Daryl.

“I’ve got him.”  He said to Sasha as she looked about ready to collapse under his weight.

“Wait.”  She breathed out.  “Wait… he’s… You’ve gotta be careful, they shot him.”  She moved back the blanket to expose his shoulder.  “I’m just taking the weight of his arm, Aaron’s really the crutch.”  Jesus stared at him dumbly for a second, taking in his pale, sweat-slick skin and his shallow breathing. This was bad.

“Ok, Aaron, let me.” He moved into Aaron’s position and felt that Daryl was barely standing on his own.  His chest tightened in fear.  “Hold on, Daryl.”  He said quietly and he felt Daryl’s head loll onto his shoulder.  He hobbled along with Daryl and a few more people from The Hilltop noticed the state of Maggie and Daryl and ran to get stretchers.  Soon he was laying Daryl down gently onto one of them.

“No.”  The word came wheezing out of Daryl no louder than a breath and his hand made a feeble attempt to hold onto Jesus’s shirt.

“I’m right here, I won’t leave.”  He reassured him and walked along next to the stretcher, holding Daryl’s hand and trying to ignore how cold it was becoming.  He didn’t let go until Doctor Carson made him and by that time he had given Daryl so many sedatives he didn’t notice that Jesus had left.

He went to find Rick.

When he found him, he was huddled with Michonne and Carl in one of the rooms in the house.

“Rick.”  When Rick looked up Jesus could see the ripples of fear still in his face.  He remembered when he had been in the line-up, remembered the utter panic that had taken hold of him. Remembered how long it had been before it had let go. “Can I do anything for you?  For any of you?”  There was a lasting pause before Michonne spoke.

“Just make sure Maggie and Daryl are alright.  We can’t lose them too.”

“Doctor Carson is doing everything he can.”  Jesus twisted his hands together.  “Eugene was a vital part of your group and a good man…  I’m so sorry.”  Rick nodded and looked at the floor.  “If there’s anything I can do.”  Jesus left the offer and then left the room so they could grieve.  He went around the camp to find the others spread out in their various states of mourning, offering his condolences and making sure no one needed anything.

Once that was done he informed Gregory of the situation, went up in the guard towers to make sure the saviors didn’t have anything planned for them today, and then instructed the people of Hilltop to be on high alert for the next few days, just to be safe.

Now he found himself back in the clinic, staring down at Daryl who was patched up, for the most part, the bleeding stopped, and still sedated.

Maggie was on the other bed, looking a little less in pain, but curled on her side with Glenn stroking her hair.  She looked like she was asleep.

“How is she?”  Jesus asked him quietly.

“Dr. Carson gave her something to stop the contractions. Once she gets a little stronger he’s going to try and figure out why it’s happening but for now he wants her to rest.” Jesus nodded.  Doctor Carson came out of the back room then.

“How’s Daryl?”  Jesus asked, not even caring if he sound over concerned.  

“He’ll be alright, but right now he’s very weak.  He lost a lot of blood.  He needs rest and for his shoulder to heal before he can put any weight on it.” Jesus nodded and lowered himself into a stool next to Daryl’s bed. _He’ll be alright_.

Twenty minutes later someone came into the infirmary and Jesus turned to see Aaron.  

“Just came to see how everyone was.”  He said quietly.  He went to Glenn first and they exchanged hushed words before he came over to Daryl’s bed.

“How is he?”

“Doctor said he would be alright, just needs to rest.  He had some pretty heavy blood loss and he can’t put any weight on his shoulder.” Jesus shrugged. “He’s more than welcome to stay here as long as he needs.”  Aaron grinned at him.  “What?”

“Look, Daryl’s a tough one, but he’s good.  I’ve spent a lot of time with him… He’ll come around.”  Aaron finished by giving Jesus a significant look.

“I… I don’t…”  Aaron’s look turned skeptical.  “No! I mean _I am_ , but Daryl… I just don’t want to chase something that isn’t there.”

“I’d chase if I was you.” Aaron urged before walking out of the infirmary.  Jesus turned back to Daryl and really looked at him. He was still pale from blood loss and his face was still set in lines of pain.  His hair was more of a mess than usual and Jesus reached out to brush some of it out of his face and immediately regretted it.  Daryl’s eyes opened as soon as he was touched.

“Sorry.”  Jesus said in a hushed voice, hoping that Daryl would recognize there was no danger and go back to sleep, but instead his eyes focused on Jesus and he spoke.

“You left, asshole.” Jesus had to contain the shock of laughter that wanted to burst out of him.

“Had to go check on the others, and you were out cold.”  Jesus said calmly.  “Doctor Carson said I was in the way… I’m sorry.”  Jesus reached out again to brush more hair out of Daryl’s eyes, he couldn’t help himself and Daryl flinched slightly.  How long had people been hurting this man that he flinched when there was no real threat?  Jesus sighed and pushed the rest of the hair out of Daryl face and Daryl, by some miracle, seemed to relax just slightly.

“How’s everyone holdin’ up?” Daryl asked and it sounded like asking the question took effort.

“They’re fine. Grieving, but fine.”  Jesus said.  “Maggie’s just over there.”  Jesus said pointing.  Daryl shifted just enough to see her on her bed and Glenn nodded to him.  “She’s resting too, we’re going to figure out what’s going on and help her, but you need to rest, okay?”

“I’m alright.”  Daryl grumbled.

“You need to recover, you lost too much blood.”

“Said I’m fine.”  But Daryl was settling back into the bed.

“Sleep.” Jesus instructed.  “I’ll be back later but I have to make sure everything is secure.  I don’t want them nosing around while you’re here.”

“You’ll be back?"  He was falling asleep again.

"I’ll be back."  Jesus promised, and Daryl’s eyes closed. He put his hand over Daryl’s and was happy to feel that it was getting warmer.  On impulse he leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to his forehead.  He quickly glanced at Glenn but he either was too distracted by Maggie or didn’t care.

"Do you need anything?"  Jesus asked him.  He just shook his head.  Jesus nodded and left the infirmary to check on some things.

He kept his promise to Daryl.  After checking the walls and getting some food for some of the people from Alexandria he went back to see Daryl and he was awake again.  They talked for a long time, stopping now and again when Rick or some of the other family came in to see him.

When Maggie was healed enough to return to Alexandria a few days later the group packed up to go, but Daryl claimed he wasn’t feeling up to it yet, and honestly, he didn’t look up to it either.  Jesus promised Rick that he would keep an eye on him and personally bring him back to Alexandria when he was healed enough.  The group left and Jesus returned to the infirmary.

"They go?"  Daryl asked.  Jesus nodded.  "Good.”

“Wanna tell me the real reason you stayed?"  Daryl eyed him and then let out a huff.  "I know it’s not because you don’t think you’re ready.  You’ve been whining to me about wanting to get out of here since you could sit up."  Daryl threw him a look when he said he was ‘whining’.

"Can’t be around them just yet."  He said quietly.

"You’ve been around them."  Jesus replied, confusion evident in his voice.

"Not back there, not by myself.  Here it’s different.  You…”

“I deflect."  Jesus nodded, understanding.

"It’ll just be me and them back there… I ain’t ready.”

“You’ve have to… eventually.”  Jesus said, coming to sit in his usual spot by the bed.  Daryl swung his legs over so he was face to face with him.

“You’ve been… Through it, right?”  Daryl looked up at Jesus through his hair.  Jesus swallowed at the memory of being on his knees at the mercy of Negan and that fucking barbwire bat.

“Yes.”

“How long’d it take you ta… stop thinking about it?”

“I had nightmares for months… sometimes I still do.  I still think about it.  Things like that never go away.”  Daryl hunched in a little bit and Jesus reflexively put a hand up to his shoulder. Daryl flinched back again, but Jesus didn’t stop.  He was used to how Daryl reacted and he knew that it was only instinctual, that he didn’t really want Jesus to stop touching him.  They had talked about it a little.

“I want him gone.” Daryl murmured.

“I know.”

“But I’m so tired.” Jesus brushed the hair away from Daryl’s eyes as Daryl took in a shaky breath.  “I can’t do this anymore.”  He barely made out and a tear slipped down his cheek.  Jesus was up out of his seat and had his arms around Daryl before it hit the floor.  The shock of what had happened was hitting Daryl full force now.  Eugene was gone, Denise was gone, Carol was to the wind and Negan now had them solidly in his sights.

Jesus held him until he stopped shaking then he pulled back and pressed his forehead to Daryl’s.

“Feel better?”

“Not really.”  Jesus pulled back a little and smirked at him.

“Good.  You will once you’re back on your feet and home. Once you’re back to what you do best.”  Daryl looked at him like he didn’t know what that was.  “Protecting your family.”  Jesus answered. “Because you _can_ still do this. I know you. You’re nothing if not a fighter.”  Daryl nodded and Jesus wondered if he believed him.  “Come on.  Let’s get you outside.  Fresh air’ll do you some good.”  Jesus turned and headed for the door as Daryl stood up.

“Paul.”  Jesus stopped in his tracks and turned.  Daryl took the few steps between then and unexpectedly pressed a chaste kiss to Jesus’s lips. “Thank you.”  Then he moved past Jesus who was rooted to the spot, and went out the door.


End file.
